John 3:16 “The Love of God for Sinful Man”

Jesus continues to speak to Nicodemus here in this verse. Nicodemus has been told things by Jesus that has confused him. Now that Nicodemus realizes that he is not saved he is ready to be shown how to be saved. Jesus uses the story of Moses and the serpent in the wilderness to illustrate that salvation will only occur through faith. The people of Moses’ day had to have faith in order to be saved from certain death. Nicodemus must trust in the son of man, the savior in order to be saved from his condemned state. Jesus now explains the details to Nicodemus. This detail begins with a description of God’s love for sinful men.

God hates sin. In connection with sin such words as wrath, indignation, fury, and anger are used to describe God’s feelings and reaction to sin. Concerning the days of Noah the bible says:

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Gen 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God hates sin. Hate is the opposite of Love. God hates sin. When the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah came up before the Lord He rained down fire and brimstone upon those wicked cities and destroyed them completely. God hates sin. God slew Er and Onan the two sons of Judah for their sin. God slew the first born of Egypt and the whole Egyptian army drowned in the red sea because of sin. Moses killed 3000 because of the golden calf which Aaron had made. God killed some 300 at the rebellion of Korah. God killed 24000 Israelites because they worshiped Baal-Peor. Many of the children of Israel because of their sin at Kadesh Barnea died in the wilderness. The sin of Achan caused the death of 36 men in Joshua’s day. God poured out His wrath upon the nations who sinned against Him. The city of Tyre was destroyed and never rebuilt because of sin.

Sin is an abomination unto God. This means that sin is vile and sickening to God. Solomon tells of this in Proverbs 6:16.

Pro 6:16 These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:

Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Pro 6:19 A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God hates sin. God’s soul hates wickedness and violence. Consider the following verses of scripture. They will teach us that God condemns sin and punishes sinful men.

Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Psa 68:21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, [and] the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

God is described vividly by Isaiah as a God of wrath, anger, and fury.

Isa 63:1 Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Isa 63:2 Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

Isa 63:5 And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Isa 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

God Hates sin!

But God loves Sinners!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

He loved even though men hated Him.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

John 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

The word "for," as used in John 3:16, means "because." Jesus is explaining why God chose to send His Son to the world and why He sent Him to the cross. God sent His Son to the cross because of His love for mankind. The Son of man, who is also the Son of God, must be crucified "for" or "because" God loved the world.

The word "world," as used in this verse means the people of the world. God loved the people of the world. This does not at all mean that God condones or approves of the sinfulness of man, but it does mean that God loves man in spite of man's sin. God is a Holy God and His Holiness never allows Him to condone sin. It never allows Him to ignore a man's sin just because He loves the man. A parent may overlook the wrong doings of his child because he loves his child. But God will never overlook a man's sin just because He loves the man. God sees every sin and every sin must be punished.

Yet God loves the world in spite of the sin. He loves every sinner in the whole world. He loves all the people of all the world. He loves all races. He loves all classes: the rich, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, the talented and the non-talented. He loves those who live clean moral lives. He loves those who commit the very vilest of sins. He loves the thief, the drunkard, the dope addict, the prostitute, the homo-sexual, the hardened criminal and even the murderer.

Jesus said that God "...so loved the world..." The word "so" in this verse signifies intensity and greatness. It speaks of the intensity and greatness of God's love. God loved lost sinners so much that He would not be content -- He could not be content without doing all in His power to save them from the curse of sin. Therefore, God made the supreme sacrifice for the souls of men. He gave His Son, His only begotten Son that men might be saved.

God requires faith on the part of mankind. Men must believe in God’s Son. They must believe that Christ died for their sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Those who will believe will not perish. They will not go to the fires of Hell. They will have instead everlasting life. They will be born again, born from above, renewed by the Holy Spirit of God and will one day be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son.

God has made the sacrifice because He loves you. Will you accept His love and His payment for your sin. Will you accept His offer of pardon for sin and His gift of eternal life?